The spread offense doesn't work in the NFL. NFL defenses are far faster than college ones are, which means that the seams that the spread relies on exploiting just close in a hurry. We also lack the o-line that could hold up to allow us to spread the field and push the ball. And it tips the defense to run vs pass on nearly every play. Unless you have Tom Brady throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the spread will not be effective as anything more than a hiccup in the offense, and we already use it in that capacity.

Its effective, heck even the spread option works with the right personnel-- the NFL is overly staid and essentially coaches are scared to take risks, there's a reason virtually every single offensive and defensive innovation comes from the college or High School level and moves up despite the widely held (and erroneous) belief that the NFL hold the smartest and most innovative coaches n the game. All that said Blaine Gabbert wasn't a good spread QB, he was only serviceable, heck he was a massive downgrade from the the QB who preceded him at Mizzou (Chase Daniels) despite superior physical tools.

Indy with Manning and New England now are essentially spread teams-- it works in the NFL if a coach has the [insert euphemism for manhood here] to take a chance and the QB is either tough enough or protected enough by the refs.

I wouldn't mind running the spread if we land Geno, but I wouldn't mind Barkley either.

If you want an idea of what would happen to this team if we went to the spread as a base offense, turn on the Patriots/Giants Superbowl from '07. That was probably the most perfect spread NFL offense you could ever dream of creating, and they got destroyed by a defense that could get at the passer. Brady spent more time in the dirt than he did standing up, and the few times he did have a little time to throw, he couldn't get into any sort of rhythm. When you're out of a shotgun, the time that the QB has to watch the ball go into his hands is vital time missed that would otherwise be being used to read the defense.

A team with "decent spread pieces," if you could even call what we would have that would get lit up like that every time you faced an upper 1/3 defense. Sure, you might be able to drop a lot of points on bad defenses, but I don't see why that's what you would want to strive for when a quality pro offense can do the same thing to bad defenses and would be able to put points on good defenses too.

Then when you went to run the ball, because there's no way you can run out of a spread effectively, you'll see teams stacking the box because they know your threat of passing is very low. And of course any time you're in a passing formation, you'll see the defense in nickel and dime formations that will mitigate the success your passing offense would have on an every down basis. The spread (read: shotgun) works effectively in spot situations because you're trying to do specific things with it, rather than trying to do everything out of it.

Um...when the team your using as an example of something not working goes 17-1, is arguably the best NFL offense of all time and is literally 6 inches from becoming only the 2nd team ever to run the table, you might want to rethink your arguments.

iPwnJoined: 10 Oct 2009Posts: 49919Location: The Great State of Chicago

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject:

Socraticsilence wrote:

Um...when the team your using as an example of something not working goes 17-1, is arguably the best NFL offense of all time and is literally 6 inches from becoming only the 2nd team ever to run the table, you might want to rethink your arguments.

Let me know when we get a top 5 all time coach, top 3 all time QB, top 2 all time WR (the greatest down field WR of all time), the best slot receiver of all time, and multiple Pro Bowl linemen._________________Jaguars | Cubs | Blackhawks | Spartans | Lakers | Fire

Um...when the team your using as an example of something not working goes 17-1, is arguably the best NFL offense of all time and is literally 6 inches from becoming only the 2nd team ever to run the table, you might want to rethink your arguments.

Let me know when we get a top 5 all time coach, top 3 all time QB, top 2 all time WR (the greatest down field WR of all time), the best slot receiver of all time, and multiple Pro Bowl linemen.

No, but I will give you a bust of a top-10 pick of a QB, an overrated slot guy, a real slot guy who can't catch, and an offensive line that can't snap the ball without giving up pressure?_________________
#JDI

iPwnJoined: 10 Oct 2009Posts: 49919Location: The Great State of Chicago

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 5:14 pm Post subject:

Its A Sabotage wrote:

iPwn wrote:

Socraticsilence wrote:

Um...when the team your using as an example of something not working goes 17-1, is arguably the best NFL offense of all time and is literally 6 inches from becoming only the 2nd team ever to run the table, you might want to rethink your arguments.

Let me know when we get a top 5 all time coach, top 3 all time QB, top 2 all time WR (the greatest down field WR of all time), the best slot receiver of all time, and multiple Pro Bowl linemen.

No, but I will give you a bust of a top-10 pick of a QB, an overrated slot guy, a real slot guy who can't catch, and an offensive line that can't snap the ball without giving up pressure?

Redskins running the spread with RG3 in fact it look like the same Baylor offense. Greenbay run the spread and the Saints do sometimes as well, but I don't think we should run the spread with capt check down. However, we land Geno I want to run the whole West Virginia offense, change our uniforms like theirs, give him the key to the city and part time owner of the Jags. He'll be the first QB/GM.

iPwnJoined: 10 Oct 2009Posts: 49919Location: The Great State of Chicago

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:34 pm Post subject:

KhanYouDigIt wrote:

iPwn wrote:

Each of those teams use it as a wrinkle in their offense. So do we.

(Pics)

Funny part is both those plays went for TD's.

Yep. And I'd assume we'd be using it a bit more if the o-line could hold up and didn't need help constantly from a TE or FB.

Still doesn't change the fact that it can't be used as the basis of an offense. It works well as a piece, it doesn't work well when you allow the defense to pin their ears back and rush the passer every single time you use it._________________Jaguars | Cubs | Blackhawks | Spartans | Lakers | Fire

Yep. And I'd assume we'd be using it a bit more if the o-line could hold up and didn't need help constantly from a TE or FB.

Still doesn't change the fact that it can't be used as the basis of an offense. It works well as a piece, it doesn't work well when you allow the defense to pin their ears back and rush the passer every single time you use it.

I think that's the biggest obstacle there. Our O-Line just isn't good. Hard to use spread sets and that sort of thing with much regularity when you can't get any reasonable pass protection.

Coincidentally, it's also one of the biggest obstacles to an awful lot of the things we might want to do offensively. Needs fixing.

The spread offense worked wonders against the Packers this past week. There were many miscues by Gabbert and the receivers, but the line held up and it was the most successful offense game we have had this season. Great Job, Jags. You guys listened to the fans, just continue to improve and this step and make us proud._________________

iPwnJoined: 10 Oct 2009Posts: 49919Location: The Great State of Chicago

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:06 am Post subject:

It was a lot more than just the spread that worked yesterday. They used it as a wrinkle, exactly like the rest of us suggested it should be used. There were a whole lot of pro style formations that were just as effective, iif not more so._________________Jaguars | Cubs | Blackhawks | Spartans | Lakers | Fire